Thank you for all of the good thinking. I thought I would consolidate the feedback and do one more article before making a call. First, there was discussion about whether Ivy Style retains ownership over content because we do not pay for content. There were a few notes suggesting that we SHOULD pay, and that …
Editor’s Note: Here and on the FB group I often get asked for advice or an opinion, mostly about clothes but sometimes about other stuff. So I’m starting this feature, randomly, for us to weigh in. NOT POLITICS. But life. In the fall of 2023 I put forward to the group this thinking. I think …
Editor’s Note: Thanks to Mitchell for this piece on Lauren. You can read more of his work by following the links in the article. Uncle Ralph was kind enough to add my name to a V.I.P.-only email newsletter called the “Polo Gazzette” and my first impression was that Mr. Lauren had read my mind (or …
Editor’s Note: Thanks to Dan Covell for yet another great essay. It reminded me of our playlist on Spotify. Always feel free to request additions. Without further ado… Thanks to some of the seminal contributors to this site, we regular readers have been made aware of the many connections between Ivy Style and music, starting …
by Rashid Faisal Dr. King delivered his lecture at 11 AM at Sage Chapel. His sermon was titled “The Three Dimensions of Life,” based on Revelations 21:16 from the Bible. According to Dr. King, the three dimensions of life were self-interest, interest in others, and love of God, which he used to explain the positives …
Editor’s Note: Rashid Faisal, the author of this amazing work, has been featured on the site here. He is a relentless dresser, a relentless academic, and a great dad. This series will be featured in five parts. I am a HUGE fan, and you will be too. – JB Introduction Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. …
Many thanks to Robert Squillaro of J. Press (well, for many things but also) for bringing this to my attention. It is 1986, I got a job at an ad agency, NW AYER. Group Assistant. Because I could type fast. I was scared silly but wanted to make a good impression. Owned NO grown up …
First, thank you for a civil conversation. That point I got crucified for making where I talked about Ivy representing values as much as it does fashion? The comment section of the last post proves that point. Smart people sometimes disagreeing with each other civilly. I know there are those who say that Ivy Style …
There is a Crimson elephant in the room that, while I wouldn’t walk under it, does deserve a good look and a peanut. This is the first paragraph of Claudine Gay’s resignation letter: Dear Members of the Harvard Community, It is with a heavy heart but a deep love for Harvard that I write to …
For those of you who were thinking the bow tie is dead… watch this. May this next year, 2024, bring you and yours joy and health, may it bring the world peace, and may it be the manifestation of good taste everywhere. See you Jan 1! JB
Sorry for the vacation – sick as a dog but back at it hard now. Flannel is a tricky fabric for Ivy. On the one hand, natural fiber so it has that going for it. It has a VERY desirable weight – there are days where I don’t feel like throwing on a sweater. And …
Thanks Chris for this amazing article. (It is paywalled but you can read it free if you create an account). The gist is that a third grade boy started wearing a suit to school, then his best friend joined him, then a 55 year old music teacher joined him, and now this entire elementary school …
Editor’s Note: We are treated again to another amazing post from contributor Daniel D. Covell. You can buy his latest book here. That’s him on the home page 🙂 I’ve done two things in the last few weeks that I haven’t done in years: Read a work of fiction and watched a film at a …
Feature photo is the 1989 Spring J Crew catalog cover. That image directed the way I dressed ever since. Two articles in the NY Times that were sent to me, if you don’t have a subscription I will summarize. (thanks to my friend Richard for – ) The first is an article about J Crew’s …
Somebody in the comments a few weeks back lamented that Ivy Style will eventually die because “nothing lasts forever.” Every once in a while we get into the weeds about whether Ivy existed pre-HeyDay. I give you the Letterman Jacket. Born in 1865 at Harvard, this iconic piece has not only survived for, like, ever. …
This is an untouched photo taken today of my brown Jay Butlers. They are three years old now and they get worn minimum three days a week, most weeks more than that. I got a compliment yesterday on them. These shoes live forever because of the quality of both the leather and the craftsmanship. And …
You can buy the book here. Or you can win a copy here. From the website: “Miles, Chet, Ralph, & Charlie tells the story of the Andover Shop, and how our co-founder Charlie Davidson transformed a tiny store into an unlikely literary and cultural salon that brought together musicians like Miles Davis, Chet Baker, and Bobby …
Last week J. Press, at the forefront of reigniting the cultural relevance of Ivy, hosted a party to launch the Wooden Sleepers shop inside the J. Press Pennant Label store at 501 Madison Ave. This is just the latest in a number of steps by Press and others in the direction of evolving Ivy for …